Apple could be in trademark fight over 'iWatch' in some countries

CUPERTINO, Calif., July 5 (UPI) -- If Apple is preparing an iWatch wearable computer it may have problems in a number of countries where other companies reportedly hold an "iWatch" trademark.

Apple's hotly rumored smartwatch may have trouble selling -- at least under that name -- in the United States, Britain, parts of Europe and China, CNET reported Friday.

Although Apple has successfully registered the iWatch trademark in Japan, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan and Turkey, others have the rights to the name in countries Apple would see as major markets.

In the United States, a California company called OMG Electronics says it had the rights to the name and has been attempting to crowdfund an iWatch smartwatch, although it has raised only a fraction of its $100,000 goal to date.

In Europe, a company called Probendi holds an "iWatch" trademark for its app that sends audio, video and location data from a smartphone to the company's emergency management software.

Apple has the financial resources to go after the iWatch trademark around the world. In fact, it paid out $60 million to a Chinese company to secure the iPad trademark in China.

In additional to the trademark competition, Apple will be up against a number of companies, including Microsoft, Google, Samsung and Dell, all reportedly working on smartwatch designs of their own.

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